All about Throats and Tonsils
Throats and tonsils are very vulnerable to infection. The throat is the passage through which we take in air – either directly or through the nose. The air that we breathe contains many pollutants (e.g. cigarette smoke or environmental pollution) as well as viruses and bacteria that may infect us with the flu and other illnesses.
Throats may become swollen, red and painful when viruses like the common cold or flu attack throat tissue. A bacterial condition commonly called ‘strep throat’ (caused by streptococcus bacteria) can also result in extremely sore throat and infected throat tissue.
The throat also contains our tonsils, which are two sacs of lymphatic tissue situated at the back of the throat. Tonsils are extremely important in protecting the body against infection and help to guard against inhaled or ingested organisms. They also produce antibodies which help to fight against nose and throat infections. They may easily become infected, especially in childhood. Symptoms of tonsillitis include swollen tonsils, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, bad smelling breath, fever, listlessness, flushed cheeks and a glassy eyed look.
